County GOP endorses, but will candidates get out?

The Franklin County Republican Party has picked who it wants as its candidates in the 19th and 23rd Ohio House districts, but that doesn’t mean voters won’t still see primaries.

The county GOP’s Central Committee last week endorsed Grove City Mayor Cheryl Grossman for the 23rd District, which includes Hilliard and Grove City. With the backing of current seat holder Rep. Larry Wolpert, U.S. Rep. Debra Pryce and others, Grossman beat out Hilliard Councilman Brett Sciotto in a close vote.

But it’s not clear if the lack of endorsement will sway Sciotto to get out of the race, as county party leaders hope it will. The West Point graduate has been campaigning as an anti-establishment candidate.

County GOP leaders want to avoid primary battles so candidates can focus money and effort on the general election. Sciotto has been meeting this week with county party leadership and said he will announce his plans in the next few weeks.

“He is a bright, capable, young future leader,” county GOP Chairman Doug Preisse said of Sciotto. “We’d like him to do the right thing and respect the endorsement process. He tells us he’s thinking about it.”

In the 19th District, including Westerville, New Albany and Canal Winchester, the Central Committee picked Dr. Bradley Lewis, the county coroner, over Nathan Burd, a former legislative staffer. Burd said he will decide in the next week or so if he still plans to run.

Other House candidates endorsed by the Franklin County Republican Party are Tim Rankin, an attorney and two-term Upper Arlington city councilman. He would take on Rep. Ted Celeste, a Grandview Heights Democrat, in the 24th District. Former Republican state Rep. Bill Schuck is expected to face Democrat John P. Carney, a health care attorney, in the open 22nd District.

Republican Reps. Kevin Bacon of Minerva Park and Jim McGregor of Gahanna are running for re-election.

The 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 24th House Districts in Franklin County are expected to be highly competitive in 2008, as Democrats attempt to pick up the four seats needed to win control of the House.